Michigan Senate again pushes ban on ergo standard

Lansing, MI – A bill that would bar the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration from promulgating a workplace ergonomics standard passed out of the state Senate on Feb. 10.

MIOSHA has been pursuing an ergonomics standard for general industry. The bill (S. 20) would limit MIOSHA to issuing only guidance advocating workplace ergonomics programs that are not more stringent than federal OSHA ergonomics guidelines.

If the bill passes out of the state House, it likely will become law. In his State of the State address Jan. 19, newly elected Gov. Rick Snyder (R) said he would stop efforts to create an ergonomics standard.

A similar bill (S. 93) passed out of the Senate during the state’s 2009-2010 congressional session, but did not pass out of the House.

Michigan is one of several states that operate its own occupational safety and health program. As a State Plan program, MIOSHA must be “at least as effective” as federal OSHA. Currently, California has the only occupational safety and health program in the country with an ergonomics standard.